


We're Best Friends (And This is the Friend Dance)

by tinybox



Series: unreality_strikes_back.exe [2]
Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: Arguing, Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Computer Programming, Conflict of Interests, Deja Vu, False Memories, Friendship, Knitting, Poetry, Social Anxiety, Time Loop, Video Game Mechanics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:35:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22503355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinybox/pseuds/tinybox
Summary: Kaito attempts to write a poem, and then attends the Literature Club for the second time.
Series: unreality_strikes_back.exe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619047
Kudos: 10





	We're Best Friends (And This is the Friend Dance)

***Load**

Alright, I've got a fresh piece of paper, a recently sharpened pencil, and some vaguely inspirational music to listen to.

Time to start writing. Any second now, inspiration is going to appear in my mind like some kind of...who am I kidding, this is never going to work.

Why did I think I could pull this off? My imagination is terrible, I have nothing original to say, and my handwriting is awful. But I _have_ to write something- I promised to!

I really shouldn't have made that promise. 

"Okay," I say to myself, "you just have to think what the others might like. Natsuki likes...cute stuff, and Yuri likes...deep stuff. No idea what Monika likes."

But I already know who I want to write this poem for. The only problem is, I have no clue what Sayori likes to read. But I do know Sayori, so...I might as well try my best. I'll probably add some stuff that I know the other two will like, just in case my attempt flops. 

I'll probably end up disappointing Monika, though.

Since I have no clue what to write, I figure I might as well pull up one of those random word generators online, and go from there. Let's see...how many words do I want?

Does it matter?

I'll go with ten. That seems like a good enough number. 

**vacation**

**dark**

**milk**

**fester**

**flower**

**insight**

**peace**

**promise**

**wrath**

**aura**

Okay, I've got some words. Now what?

Honestly, I know nothing about poetry. I _do_ remember having to read some of those really long poems in English class, but I'd never paid any real attention to them. Probably should have, in hindsight. 

...

The internet will probably have some answers. 

I type into the search bar, **"What is poetry?"**

Boom.

Alright, according to the dictionary, poetry is:

**_literary work in which special intensity is given to the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature._ **

That's not too helpful. Maybe I should ask a different question. 

So, I type into the search bar, **"How to write poetry"**

Let's see...oh no, there's like a twelve step process in each of the online articles. 

...

Maybe I should go with the flow, and see where I end up. 

"Hi again, Kaito!" Monica says cheerfully. 

Aside from her and Sayori, no one else is here. 

I slump down in the nearest desk, and try to think about what I'm going to do next. I guess I could read the book Yuri gave me yesterday...but I'm too tired to read. I stayed up really late last night trying to write something good, and now my head kind of aches. 

I could probably fall asleep right now. 

I close my eyes, and listen in on Sayori's conversation with Monika.

"We're probably going to seem really lame compared to all the other clubs, though," Sayori says worriedly.

"Hmm..." Monika hums, clearly deep in thought. "Well, we can't give up. The festival is out chance to show everyone what literature is all about! The problem is the idea of a literature club is that the idea of a literature club sounds to dense and intellectual...But it's not like that at all, you know? We just need a way of showing it to everyone...something that speaks to their creative minds."

"Hmmmm....that doesn't solve the problem, though!"

"Eh? What do you mean?" Monika asks, clearly surprised. 

"Even if we come up with the most fun thing ever...Nobody will come in the first place if it's a literature event. So it's more important to get people to show up, you know? And after they come, we can do the thing to speak their creative minds."

Sayori is taking this really seriously. I should help out, too, even if I sound stupid.

I sit up a little bit straighter, opening my eyes. "This might be a dumb idea, but what if we had baked goods or something?"

Sayori bounces in place. "Cupcakes! We could have cupcakes! Everyone loves cupcakes!"

"Ahaha, good thinking, you two. You guys make a good team. Anyway, I bet Natsuki would love to do that."

Sayori's grin grows even wider. "Ah! You're right! Natsuki makes the best cupcakes! This works out perfectly!"

"That wasn't why you suggested it?" Monika asks curiously.

I snicker. 

"Cupcakes speak to my creative tummy," Sayori says seriously.

"...Cupcakes it is, then."

"I'm hungry..." Sayori says pitifully. "Kaito, do you still have those fruit bars that your mom usually gives you?"

"I thought you hate those things."

"Yeah, but I'm desperate for snacks."

"You're lucky that I hate them, too." 

I toss a bar to Sayori. After unwrapping the shiny foil, she scarfs the snack down in less than a minute.

"Anyway," Monika continues, "we still need to work out the details of the event itself..."

I find myself smiling. 

In the end, Sayori is still her usual self. 

...That's one of the reasons I admire her. Unlike me, who has trouble finding any motivation at all...Sayori can put her mind to things and make them come to life.

I suppose that's why I let end up letting her get on my case about things.

I can't help but wonder what it must be like to see the world through her eyes...

I slump down a little bit more, listening as Sayori and Monika continue their conversation.

My eyes feel heavy.

Maybe I can rest them for a little bit...

...

I open my eyes to see Sayori's face filling my vision.

"Uwaa-!" I gasp, nearly falling out of my chair.

"Ehehe, sorry," Sayori giggles, taking a couple steps back. Then she frowns slightly. "Wait! Actually, I'm not sorry at all!"

"You're not?"

Sayori huffs. "It's your fault for sleeping like that! This isn't the napping club!"

"Does our school have a napping club?"

Right now, that seems like a pretty good idea.

If I wasn't so lazy, I probably would create one.

"You're staying up late again, aren't you?" Sayori asks worriedly. "Now that you're in a club, you're gonna have less time for anime and manga, you know!"

"I thought you told Natsuki that manga _was_ literature," I tease. 

Sayori huffs. "You know what I mean!"

"Yeah," I admit. "I know, I know. You're always looking out for me, Sayori. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Ehehe," Sayori giggles, "it's what I do best!"

"I don't know, you're pretty good at knitting. I still have that scarf you made me last year, you know."

(She actually made two of them- one for me, the other for her.)

Sayori flushes. "Aw, you kept it?"

"Of course I did. But, back to my earlier point, you spend so much time worrying about me...that sometimes I think you forget about yourself. You're still oversleeping again, aren't you? Tell you what, tomorrow I'll be there with a bucket of water, so you better get up on time!"

Sayori giggles. "You don't have to do that! Besides, I don't sleep in every day!"

"...You don't sound too convincing. How many days have you gotten up on time?"

Sayori looks away. "That's...It's a secret!"

Getting up, I boop her on the nose. "I knew it..."

Her face flushes. "C'monnnn! At least give me the benefit of the doubt!"

I look at her straight in the eyes, and say in my most deadpan voice, "I can't even do that." 

I can't keep the serious expression on my face for too long; the way Sayori pouts is just so adorable. "Look, Sayori, it's written all over you."

"...Eh?" 

Sayori glances around herself with a small frown. "How is it written all over me?"

"You were clearly in a rush this morning," I say, using my best detective voice. "Look, your hair is sticking out all around here."

Sayori flushes. "Ah-"

"This is why I carry a hairbrush around with me, you know." Pulling out said hairbrush from my bag, I hand it to her. She begins running it down her hair, wincing when she hits a knot. 

"Ouch!"

"Here, let me do it."

She passes the brush over to me, turning around so that I can brush the back of her hair.

"Man, your hair is really tangled this morning," I say, smoothing out a particularly stubborn knot. "Alright, this is good enough."

"Thanks!" 

Turning back to face me, Sayori pouts. "My hair's just really hard to get right..."

"I won't fall for that," I tease, putting the brush back in my bag. "There's more than just your hair. Look, your bow isn't straight, either. And there's a toothpaste stain on your collar right here."

I try to wipe the stain off with my finger.

"B-but nobody would ever notice that..." Sayori protests.

I shake my head. "Of course they would. Nobody's going to tell you about it because they don't want to embarrass you. Luckily, you have me!"

"Hey, you meanie..."

"And you don't even keep your blazer buttoned up...but that's normal for you. Here, let me help out. But just this once, alright?"

I start buttoning her blazer from the bottom. "You'll thank me later when this ends up getting you a boyfriend."

Sayori giggles. "Ehehe...this is kind of funny."

"What is?"

"I was just thinking about how weird it is to have a friend who does these kind of things."

I can feel my own face begin to flush. "Eh?"

"I like it," Sayori tells me, her smile soft. "I'm happy we're like this. Aren't you?"

"I-I guess," I mumble. 

Sayori and I have never really talked about stuff like this before. It's kind of strange...but not in a terrible way.

"Hey, be careful, the button might come off!"

I struggle to close the button near her chest. "I guess I'll leave that one alone. Seriously, though, does this even fit?"

Sayori giggles nervously. "Ehehe...it was when I bought it."

I let out a deep sigh. "If you ever buttoned it, you would have noticed sooner that it doesn't fit you anymore."

Sayori smiles. 

"Wait, what are you smiling about?"

"It means my boobs got bigger again!"

"D-don't say that out loud!"

Sayori just giggles.

"Anyway, you look way better now," I tell her, taking a step back. 

...

Why does it feel strange to see Sayori's blazer buttoned up like that?

Sayori groans. "But it's so stuffy...it's not worth it at all!"

With that, Sayori hastily unbuttons her blazer once more. "Phew! That's so much better!"

Sayori puts her arms out and twirls around. "So, if I keep it unbuttoned then I won't get a boyfriend, right?"

I raise my eyebrows. "What kind of logic is that? And why are you saying it like it's a good thing?"

"Because...if I had a boyfriend, he wouldn't let you do things like this! And you take care of me better than anyone else would, anyway...So that's why I'm keeping it unbuttoned!"

"Stop saying these embarrassing things!"

"Eh? I didn't say anything embarrassing..."

I look down at my shoes. "I guess I'm not too good with this sort of thing. Um...anyway, you really should focus on trying to wake up a little earlier. I'm not joking about the whole water bucket thing, you know."

"Only if you focus on getting to bed earlier!" Sayori teases. 

"Fine, fine. It's a deal."

Sayori giggles. "I guess we really are better at taking care of each other than we are of ourselves."

"Okay, everyone!" Monika suddenly announces.

I turn around, and see that Natsuki and Yuri are now here. 

Huh.

"Why don't we share the poems we wrote now?"

Sayori bounces a little in excitement. "Yay! Kaito, I can't wait to read yours!"

"Yeah, same..."

I fail to sound enthused, but Sayori still trots off to retrieve her poem. 

"By the way," Monika asks me, "did you remember to write a poem last night?"

"Y-yeah," I say nervously.

My relaxation ends; I can't believe I agreed to do something this embarrassing. It was hard coming up with inspiration, seeing as I've never done this before. Even after reading some guides on the internet, it was still really difficult to put my pencil to the paper and start writing. 

"Well," Monika says cheerfully, "now that everyone's ready, why don't you find someone to share with?"

"I can't wait!" Sayori says excitedly.

Both Sayori and Monika enthusiastically pull out their poems; Sayori's poem is on a wrinkled sheet of loose leaf torn from a spiral notebook, Monika's poem, on the other hand, is written in a composition book.

I can already see Monika's pristine handwriting from where I sit.

Natsuki and Yuri reluctantly comply as well, reaching into their bags.

I do the same, myself.

Ẅ̷̩̘̹̖̦̫͚͉̯͎̮̙̰͉͆̐͂̎͠ȟ̵͇̬͚̞̲̟̱̩̻̙̭͚̠̣̫̇̄̌̋̈̐͊̄̚͘͝ǒ̸͚̰̮̼͉̟̥̼͖̝͒͝ ̴̩͓̹̠̰̪͚̟̜̏̎̍̐̓͗̔̓͋̉̿͜͠s̶̛̮̫̘͇̹̜̳̥̞̝͌̅̎͋͝͝h̸͎̠͍̐̅̎̽̈́̆̃́̊͠ǒ̶̘̦̆̂͌̽̑̓u̴̡̨͈̩̥̗͔͔̻̭͙̜̤͎̎̇͑̔̽͌̿͜͝l̸̡̢̧̻̫̖̩͕̭͉̳̙̮͙͐̇̑̾͠ͅd̴̫̻̫̲̹̟̘̠ ̵̛͓̙̳͎̬͚̰̰̼̯͉̬͒͂͒̊̀̇̐͐̓̚͝I̵̢̢͔̙̟̝͇̻͆̉͛̇̉̓̔̐̅̂̇̄̚͝ ̶̥͎̃̔̈́͑̆s̵͍̘̙̼̓͒̇͑̀̌̊͝ḩ̶̡̼͈̳̬̱͎̯̔̑̾̈̋͂̓͒͒̉͌̉̚͝ͅo̸̟͈͓̫̫̓̈́̀w̷̛̗͇̗̭̓̽̑ ̸͈̫̦̻̮̺͔͋̔͜m̷̡͍͓̻̱͍̮̫̪͕͕͉̙̪̜̀̓̊͐͊͂y̸̳͇̰͖͇̫̩̅͊̍̋̈́̓̆̅̀͛̽̿̀̕͝ͅ ̸̼͙͎͍̼̈̆̋́̈́̐̍͒̄̚͠͝͝ͅp̸̳̖͔̫̲̙̣͖̦̙̗̂͋̐̓̐ơ̶͙̮͙͚̩̖͚̗̲̱̺̗̦̝͉̅̐͆̒̂̈́̈́̈́͗̕̕͝ể̵͔̗͎̯̙͙͈͇̖̘̬̬͈͠m̴̱̕ ̶̢̫͆̀̑̔͊̐̎͛̒͑͂̏t̴̢̢̝̟͕͈̲̃͛͐͋̎̉͐̂̅͆̑ợ̶̤̰̪̥͚̯̜̤̲̞̳̘͚̈́̑͆̈́̈́̍̐͋̕͘̕̕͠ ̸̡̩̪̩̭̝̪͖̝̗̞̹̲̓̐̾̆̈̋̍̑̑͋͘f̷̳̹͗i̵̲̼̬̝̼̓̾͊͑̏̇̈́ͅŗ̸̛̝͔̭̪̼̪͉̤̮̫̣̤̿̽͂͛̚ͅs̷̖͕̥̳̺̪̦̣͖̹̙̓̒̒̏̄̀̄̆̽͜͠t̵̢̡̧̘͇̞͓͓̤̳̪̯̝͉̔̽̐̆ͅ?̸̡̧̛̮͚͍̈́̉̓͊̀͑̉͆̍͌͝

Ş̶̱͈͓͇̣͓̗̆̐̾̽̊͘͝a̴̧̛̦͚̣̜̻̎̃̂̄͐̓͑́̉̕y̶̗͓̖̌̍̍ô̷̡̜͈̭͇̖͒́͑̂͐͛͆̃ŕ̶̜̭̜̫͕̬͍̥̌̊̐̃͠į̴̣̲̭̦̬̼͖̹̱̣̲͖͔̩̏

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

Who should I show my poem to first?

Sayori, of course. I'm definitely most comfortable sharing it with her first. She my best friend, after all. 

...

My only friend, to be honest.

I hand my poem to Sayori, and she takes several minutes scanning through it.

Sayori's always been a quick reader, so her spending so much time on it concerns me.

"Sayori?"

"...Oh my goodness! This is sooooooo good, Kaito!"

"Eh?"

"I love it! I had no idea you were such a good writer!"

I feel my face flush. "Sayori, are you just saying this because you're my friend? Because I'm not a good writer at all. I honestly have no idea what I'm doing. I had to look up how to write poems last night, and that didn't even help."

"Well..." Sayori starts, "maybe that's why! Because I have no idea what I like, either!"

She giggles.

"Jeez...I suppose we'll have to muddle through this together."

Still, I'm sure Yuri's opinion will be more constructive than this.

Maybe even Natsuki's. 

"Are you sure you don't like it just because I wrote it?"

"Eh? Well, I'm sure that's part of it. I think I understand you better than a lot of people, you know? So when I read your poem, it's not just a poem. It's a Kaito poem! And that makes it feel extra special! Like I can feel your feelings in it!"

Sayori hugs the sheet to her chest.

I ruffle her hair. "You're so weird, Sayori."

"Ehehe...I'm really happy just that you wrote one. It just reminds me how you're really a part of the club now."

Besides the fact that I'm standing in front of her right now?

"Er...well...of course. I'm not really into it yet, but I that doesn't mean I'll break my promise."

"See? It's like I said before, Kaito...deep down you're not selfish at all, you know? Trying new things for other people...that's something only really good people do!"

"Thanks, Sayori."

"I'm gonna make sure you have a lot of fun, here, okay? That will be my way of thanking you!"

"Alright," I say with a smile, "I'm going to hold you to that."

"Yay! Now, you'll read my poem too, right? Don't worry, I'm really bad at this. Ehehehe..."

"We'll see about that."

**_Sunshine_ **

_The way you glow through my blinds in the morning_   
_It makes me feel like you missed me._   
_Kissing my forehead to help me out of bed._   
_Making me rub the sleepy from my eyes._

_Are you asking me to come out and play?_   
_Are you trusting me to wish away a rainy day?_   
_I look above. The sky is blue._   
_It's a secret, but I trust you too._

_If it wasn't for you, I could sleep forever._   
_But I'm not mad._

_I want breakfast._

"Sayori, this is just a guess, but...did you wait until morning to write this?"

There's a faint dusting of pink on her cheeks. 

"No! J-just a little bit!"

I nudge her shoulder with mine. "You can't answer 'just a little bit' to a yes or no question."

"I forgot to do it last night," Sayori finally admits.

"Well, at least that makes me feel a little better about myself..."

"Don't be mean!" Sayori says, swatting me on the arm. "I still tried my best..."

"Ah, yeah. I didn't mean to say it's a bad poem. It came out nice...or, how should I put it...it sounds just like you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Especially that last line."

"I made eggs and toast!"

"Even though you were late to school?"

"It's bad to skip breakfast! I get all cranky..."

I sigh. "Well, I guess there's no point in arguing. Well, do you think we should go trade poems with someone else?"

"Alright! This was fun. Monika's the best!"

"Ah...yeah."

"Next time," Sayori promises, "I won't forget! And I'll write the best poem ever!"

"Well, I guess I look forward to it."

Ẁ̸̧̘̳͎̭̱̫͇̜̰̫̪̝h̴͔͓̰̭̰͖̄̓͌̒͛͐̐̽̉́͝ͅo̴̺̱̟̬̮̪̲͖̰̘͍̜͔̪͂͐͐̈́͑̎̌͌̚̕ ̶̛͇̦͎̪̙͇̊̉̉͐̆͋ş̴̧̨͎̖̥̙̖̙̝͈̬̑͋͗̎̽͛̔̉͋ȟ̶̯̱̻̞͔̠̰̞̳̐̌̈́͗ō̷̡̝̙͚̮̃̒̂̎͛͗̅̑̕͘u̷̧̧̡̟̭̙̣͔̗̘͕̭̮̽̆̔͗̿͗̏̎̅̑͝l̵̼͆̍̂͆͌̆̑̿̓̅d̵̯͖̖̰̞͕̦̲͙̺̩̱̯͕̼̆͛̊͊͑͗̏͐̓͘͝ ̴̛͍̣̯̯͙͓͉̜̂͊͆̓̊̍̑̓͘͝I̸̺͕͉͔͎̦̞̲͋̌͑̔͊͌͗̓͝͠͝ ̸̖̖̘͈͉̖̩́̾̄͒s̴̼̤̥̥͙̹̹̙͕̦͑́̒͌̉̐̂͗̄̃̚͠h̴̡̨̧̗̰̟͍̯̲͕̰͔̲̒̋͆̿͛̎͌͆o̷̗͍̬͎͓̣̪̙͕̤̱͖͐̈́̽͛̅ẅ̸̧̲̫̠̜̙́̈́̀͐͋̏͊͘̕ ̸̛̭̗̦̟̯͖̣̞̱͉͍̞̭̗͌̀͌͑̉̿̿̍͑̑̑m̷̢̧̨̘͕̝̥̞̜̝̯̱̝͐͋̈̔̋͝͝y̴̢̛̛͎͍̘͇̜͒̾̆͊̿̓ ̴̨̩͇̺̖̬̗̲̍͐͐͗͌̒͆͊̇̈́̓̎̏́͜ͅͅp̶̛̣̤̯͉̟̖̋̌̈́͜͝ȍ̶̡̫̫̬̰͎̙̘͖̝̬͕͇̼̱̆͠ę̷̜͇͇̪̖͔͔͙͓̯̱̜͒̄̈̇̆̽͗͊̌̄͜͜͝͝͝m̶̨̧͓̠̤͕͇̻̖̫̘̹͈͚̍̐͊͛͛̽͂ͅ ̸̛̬̳̟̹̯͓͇̦̲̱̥͖̼̽̿̔̐̈́͗̄̓̕͝t̸̲̲̩͎̂̇͊̆̇̕ö̷̮̩͕̼̰̲͇̺̠̤̤́̂͛̀͐̾͑̽̉̽͊́̋͝͠ͅ ̶̞̺̒̋͂̀́̌̎̓̚͝n̶̬̩̝̺̬͉͙͗̌̍͑̆̒͘͘͜͠͝é̶͚̩̪̜̘̹̫͔̩̰̬̰̦̔͜x̶̮̱̣͖̝͊̿̓͋̍̀̔̅̓t̸̻̬̫̾̋̏?̶̡͔͙̮͖͕̠̣̘̠̐̊̚͜

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

The next person I show my poem to is Natsuki. 

"...Well, it's about what I expected from someone like you."

Ouch.

"T-that's a little blunt..."

"Well, _excuse_ me. It's not like I said it was bad. It just didn't evoke any emotions."

"So basically, it's not cute enough for your tastes?" I tease. 

Natsuki scowls. "You want to get smacked?"

I rub the back of my neck. "I'll pass..."

Natsuki looks away. "Well anyway, I guess I need to show you mine. Not that you'll like it."

**_Eagles can fly_ **

_Monkeys can climb_   
_Crickets can leap_   
_Horses can race_   
_Owls can seek_   
_Cheetahs can run_   
_Eagles can fly_   
_People can try_   
_But that's about it._

"Yeah, I told you that you wouldn't like it."

"I like it. The ending's cool, and it takes me by surprise. It starts off flowing, and then it takes me for a loop with the last line."

"What?"

_...Oh no, I messed up and made her mad._

"Just be honest!"

Actually, I think she doesn't look angry. She looks...nervous?

"Why are you so certain I won't like it?" 

"Because!" Natsuki snaps, crossing her arms over her chest, "Everyone in high school thinks that writing has to be all sophisticated and stuff...so people don't take my writing seriously."

"But isn't the point of poems to express themselves? Your writing style wouldn't make your message any less valid."

"Yes, exactly! It's easy to read, but it hits you hard. Like in this poem! Seeing people around you do great things can be really disheartening...so I decided to write about it. "

"I totally get that. When I see other really talented people doing amazing things, sometimes I don't even want to try. Especially when they're really younger than me." 

"Exactly! Anyway, the other great thing about simple writing is that it puts more weight on the wordplay. Like I set up for a rhyme at the end, but then I made it fall flat on purpose. It helps bring out the feeling in the last line."

"So you did...I guess more went into it than I realized."

Natsuki beams at me. "That's why I'm such a pro! I'm glad you learned something. Didn't expect from the youngest one here, did you?"

"Yeah, I guess not."

I decide to humor her with that last comment. I don't really care how old she is, but if Natsuki is feeling proud, than I won't take it away from her.

Ẁ̸̧̘̳͎̭̱̫͇̜̰̫̪̝h̴͔͓̰̭̰͖̄̓͌̒͛͐̐̽̉́͝ͅo̴̺̱̟̬̮̪̲͖̰̘͍̜͔̪͂͐͐̈́͑̎̌͌̚̕ ̶̛͇̦͎̪̙͇̊̉̉͐̆͋ş̴̧̨͎̖̥̙̖̙̝͈̬̑͋͗̎̽͛̔̉͋ȟ̶̯̱̻̞͔̠̰̞̳̐̌̈́͗ō̷̡̝̙͚̮̃̒̂̎͛͗̅̑̕͘u̷̧̧̡̟̭̙̣͔̗̘͕̭̮̽̆̔͗̿͗̏̎̅̑͝l̵̼͆̍̂͆͌̆̑̿̓̅d̵̯͖̖̰̞͕̦̲͙̺̩̱̯͕̼̆͛̊͊͑͗̏͐̓͘͝ ̴̛͍̣̯̯͙͓͉̜̂͊͆̓̊̍̑̓͘͝I̸̺͕͉͔͎̦̞̲͋̌͑̔͊͌͗̓͝͠͝ ̸̖̖̘͈͉̖̩́̾̄͒s̴̼̤̥̥͙̹̹̙͕̦͑́̒͌̉̐̂͗̄̃̚͠h̴̡̨̧̗̰̟͍̯̲͕̰͔̲̒̋͆̿͛̎͌͆o̷̗͍̬͎͓̣̪̙͕̤̱͖͐̈́̽͛̅ẅ̸̧̲̫̠̜̙́̈́̀͐͋̏͊͘̕ ̸̛̭̗̦̟̯͖̣̞̱͉͍̞̭̗͌̀͌͑̉̿̿̍͑̑̑m̷̢̧̨̘͕̝̥̞̜̝̯̱̝͐͋̈̔̋͝͝y̴̢̛̛͎͍̘͇̜͒̾̆͊̿̓ ̴̨̩͇̺̖̬̗̲̍͐͐͗͌̒͆͊̇̈́̓̎̏́͜ͅͅp̶̛̣̤̯͉̟̖̋̌̈́͜͝ȍ̶̡̫̫̬̰͎̙̘͖̝̬͕͇̼̱̆͠ę̷̜͇͇̪̖͔͔͙͓̯̱̜͒̄̈̇̆̽͗͊̌̄͜͜͝͝͝m̶̨̧͓̠̤͕͇̻̖̫̘̹͈͚̍̐͊͛͛̽͂ͅ ̸̛̬̳̟̹̯͓͇̦̲̱̥͖̼̽̿̔̐̈́͗̄̓̕͝t̸̲̲̩͎̂̇͊̆̇̕ö̷̮̩͕̼̰̲͇̺̠̤̤́̂͛̀͐̾͑̽̉̽͊́̋͝͠ͅ ̶̞̺̒̋͂̀́̌̎̓̚͝n̶̬̩̝̺̬͉͙͗̌̍͑̆̒͘͘͜͠͝é̶͚̩̪̜̘̹̫͔̩̰̬̰̦̔͜x̶̮̱̣͖̝͊̿̓͋̍̀̔̅̓t̸̻̬̫̾̋̏?̶̡͔͙̮͖͕̠̣̘̠̐̊̚͜

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

The next person I talk to is Yuri.

"Mm..." 

Yuri stares at the poem in silence. 

A minute passes, more than enough for her to read to finish reading. 

"Um..."

"Oh!" Yuri exclaims, sweating nervously. "S-sorry! I forgot to start speaking..."

"It's fine, don't force yourself. I always kind of worry whether I'm talking too much or not enough, and then I stress out because I feel like I've just said something dumb and made everything awkward or something. And then my hands starting sweating and suddenly I'm the guy with sweaty hands. Um. That was too much information, I'm sorry. I ramble when I get nervous."

Yuri smiles at me, her expression relieved. "I just need to put my thoughts into words. Hold on...okay." After a moment, Yuri asks, "This is your first time writing a poem, right?"

"Yeah...was it really that obvious?"

"I was just making sure," Yuri assures me. "I guessed it might be after reading it."

"...Is it that bad?"

"No!!" Yuri immediately flushes bright red. "Sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice."

She then buries her face in her hands.

We haven't really gotten anywhere, but I also don't want to pressure Yuri into talking. 

Sayori and Natsuki were a little easier to talk with, mostly because they took the lead in the conversation. Yuri, though, seems to be a bit like me, if not a lot shyer.

When I get nervous, I ramble.

When Yuri gets nervous, she withdraws.

"Don't worry about it, I didn't even notice. Besides, I really do what to hear how you think I can improve my writing style."

"Right...um...it's just that there are writing habits that are usually typical of new writers. And having been through that myself, I kind of learned how to pick up on them. I think the most noticeable thing about new writers is that they try and make their style deliberate. In other words, they tend to pick a writing style separate from the topic matter, and they form fit the two together. The end result is that both the style and the expressiveness are weakened. "

I nod in agreement.

Yuri sounds a lot more confident then she was earlier; her stammering is completely gone, and she sounds like an expert.

"Of course, that's not something you can be blamed for. There are so many different skills and techniques that go into writing even a simple poem. It might take you some time, but it all comes with practice, learning by example, and trying new things."

"Thanks, Yuri. That's really helpful."

Yuri flushes. "I also hope everyone else can give you valuable feedback. Natsuki can be a little biased though..."

"Biased? How?"

"U-um...well...never mind...I shouldn't be talking about people like that...sorry."

"It's fine. Don't worry, I won't say anything."

I'm not sure if Yuri is apologizing to me, herself, or Natsuki, but I don't want to pry. 

So, instead I ask, "Would it be alright for me to read your poem?"

Yuri smiles at me. "Please do!"'

**_Ghost under the light_ **

_The tendrils of my hair illuminate beneath the amber glow._   
_Bathing._   
_It must be this one._   
_The last remaining streetlight to have withstood the test of time._   
_The last yet to be replaced by the sickening blue-green of the future._   
_I bathe. Calm; breathing air of the present but living in the past._   
_The light flickers._   
_I flicker back._

Yuri looks worriedly up at me. "I...I'm sorry I have such terrible handwriting!"

"Huh? You have great handwriting!"

"But it took you a long time to read..."

"I'm just a slow reader in general. This is kind of embarrassing, since I'm in a Literature Club and all, but reading has always been tricky for me. Also, I don't read script very often. I think your handwriting is really pretty!"

"Eh? That's...a relief. Not about the whole reading difficulty, of course. I just mean that I'm glad you didn't find it tricky to read."

"More importantly, though, I liked your poem. You've got a way with words."

"It wasn't too short? I usually write longer poems..."

"Not at all."

"I'm...really glad you like it. I'll be honest...since it's our first sharing, I wanted to write something a little bit more mild. Something easier to digest, I suppose."

"Are you into ghosts, Yuri?"

"Actually, the poem isn't about ghosts at all."

"R-really? Sorry about that, Yuri, I guess I really missed the point on that one."

"Well, I suppose you did only glance over it, after all...but remember that poets often express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in their work. They usually do more than tell a simple story, or paint a picture. In this case, perhaps the subject of the poem is only being symbolically compared to a ghost. Lingering in her last remaining comfort, unable to let go of her past. And soon to be left with nothing...that's a lot more solemn, putting it that way." 

"I didn't even think about it like that...but I really like the way you described it."

"It's nothing really," Yuri says modestly, "but...it makes me happy to hear that you like it. Just remember that it won't be long before you pick on these things, too."

"Maybe you're right. Although," I say with a grin, "I'm not sure I'll ever get my handwriting up to par with yours."

Yuri snorts, then looks embarrassed. "Sorry! I didn't mean..."

"Don't worry, everything's all _write_. You know, cause the word right sounds like write, and all."

Yuri giggles, hand covering her mouth as though she's trying not to show that she's smiling. 

She has a lovely laugh.

"I think I get it."

M̶̧̩̝̹̊o̸̧̟̫̺̱̤̭͈̱͒̀͊̎̌̎̚ͅņ̶͈̙̩̃͑́̀͗̈́̑͝͝i̷̡̨̹̩͇̓̇k̸͙̗̝̹̫͖͇̫͖̬͇̪͈̻̆͆̈́̇͒̌̚̚͘ã̸̡̺̦͖̳͚͓̹̗̺̄̌̏̂͐̑͜͠ͅͅ

Now it's time to share my piece with Monika. When she gets my work, she scans the paper thoughtfully, green eyes focused on every single ink stroke.

Have I made some kind of spelling error?

...I probably did.

Maybe I can claim that I'm taking poetic license or something?

Would that even work on her?

Oh no, she's finished reading it.

Monika smiles sweetly at me. "I like this one! It makes me think of something Sayori would like."

"Is that so?" I ask curiously. "I mean, I used to give her an ice cream sandwich to look over my essay assignments or the occasional class presentation, and sometimes she'd rewrite parts of it without me asking, so I guess I just...remembered her style? Maybe?"

Monika giggles. "So that explains why some of your speeches would occasionally go off-topic!"

"No, that was all me. Except anything involving cute animals or food. That was Sayori."

"You are Sayori are really good friends, huh? I wouldn't be surprised if you had those sort of things in common." 

"We've known each other our entire lives, practically, but I think we're very different."

"Hmm...well, that may be the case. But maybe there's also some similarities that you wouldn't expect. The way she talks about you...it sounds like you two really care about each other's well-being. Even if you show it in different ways, it ends up being more similar than you think. So I think that's what I got when reading your poem."

I don't why I tell her this, but I say to Monika, "We've known each other practically our entire lives, and she's always been there for me. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without her."

I stop short. "Um..I didn't mean to say that. It's kind of awkward...I don't know why I ever told you this...but, um...well..."

For a moment, it's like Monika freezes in place. But the motion happens so quickly, that I'm not even sure I even saw her do it.

Probably just my overanxious brain.

"In any case," Monika continues, saving the conversation, "Sayori's writing has kind of a gentle feel to it. I can tell she likes exploring with emotions, like happiness and sadness. Who knew someone so happy could enjoy sad things as well?"

"Yeah, that's...unexpected."

Something about what she just said is bothering me, but I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's because Sayori's poem didn't really feel happy or sad, just-

"Well, to each their own," Monika continues, breaking my train of thought. "And you shouldn't be afraid to experiment, either."

I can't remember what I was just thinking about.

Probably unimportant.

"I'm sure I'll end up trying different things a lot. It could take a while before I feel comfortable doing this."

"That's okay!" Monika says with a cheerful smile, "I'd love to see you try new things. That's the best way to find a style that suits you. Everyone might be a little biased toward their own kind of styles...but I'll always help you find what style suits you the most! So don't force yourself to write the way anyone else wants you to write. It's not like you have to worry about impressing them or anything."

"That's where you're wrong," I joke, "I feed on validation. I constantly worry about what people think of me."

Both of us giggle.

It's funny how easy it is to talk to Monika. 

"Anyway, do you want to read my poem now? Don't worry, I'm not very good."

"You sound pretty confident for someone who claims not to be any good."

Monika shrugs. "That's because I have to sound confident. That doesn't mean I always feel that way, you know?"

"...I see. Well, let's read it, then."

_**Hole in Wall** _

_It couldn't have been me._  
 _See, the direction the spackle protrudes._  
 _A noisy neighbor? An angry boyfriend? I'll never know. I wasn't home._  
 _I peer inside for a clue._  
 _No! I can't see. I reel, blind, like a film left out in the sun._  
 _But it's too late. My retinas._  
 _Already scorched with a permanent copy of the meaningless image._  
 _It's just a little hole. It wasn't too bright._  
 _It was too deep._  
 _Stretching forever into everything._  
 _A hole of infinite choices._  
 _I realize now, that I wasn't looking in._  
 _I was looking out._  
 _And he, on the other side, was looking in_.

"Hmm...it's very freeform...if that's what you call it. Sorry, I'm not the best person to talk about for feedback."

"Aha...it's okay. Yeah, that style has gotten pretty popular nowadays. That is, a lot of poems have been putting emphasis on the timing between words and lines. When performed out loud, it can be really powerful."

"What was the inspiration behind this one?"

"Ah...well, I'm not sure if I know how to put it. I guess you could say that I had some kind of epiphany lately. It's been influencing my poems a bit."

"An epiphany?"

"Yeah... something like that. I'm kind of nervous to talk about deep stuff like that, because it's kind of coming on strongly...maybe after everyone is better friends with each other. Anyway...here's Monika's Writing Tip of the Day! Sometimes when you're writing a poem-or story-your brain gets too fixated on a specific point...if you try so hard to make it perfect, then you'll never make any progress. Just force to get something down on the paper, and tidy it up later!

Another way to think about it is this: If you keep your pen in the same spot for too long, you'll just get a big dark puddle of ink. So just move your hand and go with the flow!"

"...Thanks?"

"...That's my advice for today! Thanks for listening!"

I guess that's everyone. 

Whew, it was a lot more stressful than I could have anticipated...but it was almost kind of fun as well. 

Maybe.

Is it worth all this stress?

Um...

I'll think about that later.

I glance across the room, where Sayori and Monika are happily chatting. Then, my eyes land on Yuri and Natsuki, gingerly exchanging their sheets of paper, sharing their respective poems.

As they read in tandem, I watch each of their expressions change.

Neither of them look particularly happy.

Natsuki's brows furrow in frustration. Meanwhile, Yuri smiles sadly. 

_This isn't good._

From across the room, I hear Natsuki mutter, "What's with this language...?" under her breath. 

"Eh? Um...did you say something?" Though polite, I can hear the steely edge underneath Yuri's tone.

_Oh no._

"Oh, it's nothing," Natsuki says, all faux casual. Dismissively, she returns the poem to the desk with one hand. "I guess you could say it's fancy."

"Ah-thanks..." Yuri stutters. "Yours is...cute." She's clearly grasping for straws, hoping not to offend Natsuki.

From Natsuki's outraged expression, it's clear that Yuri's attempt failed.

"Cute? Did you completely miss the symbolism or something? It's clearly about the feeling of giving up. How can that be cute?"

"I-I know that!" Yuri stammers, "I just meant...the language, I guess...I was trying to say something nice..."

Natsuki's scowl grows even deeper. "Eh? You mean you had to try that hard to come up with something nice to say? Thanks, but it didn't really come out nice at all!"

"Umm...well, I have a couple of suggestions..." Yuri begins.

Natsuki huffs.

_Oh no oh no oh no. Why did you have to say that, Yuri?_

"If I was looking for suggestions," Natsuki snips, "I would have asked someone who actually liked it. Which people _did,_ by the way. Sayori liked it. Kaito liked it too! So based on that, I'll gladly give you some suggestions of my own."

_Oh no she mentioned my name why did she have to mention me by name?_

_Why did you mention me by name Natsuki?_

"First off all-" Natsuki begins, before quickly getting cut off by Yuri.

"Excuse me..." Yuri says, "I appreciate the offer, but I've spent a long time establishing my writing style. I don't expect it to change anytime soon, unless I find something particular inspiring. Which I haven't yet."

_Oh **god** Yuri why did you say that?_

_Why isn't anyone stepping in?_

"Nngh!" 

Crossing her arms, Yuri says dismissively, "And Kaito liked my poem too, you know. He even told me he was impressed by it."

Natsuki suddenly stands up. "Oh? I didn't realize you were so invested in trying to impress our new member, Yuri," Natsuki snarks.

Yuri's face flushes bright pink. No longer cool and collected, Yuri stammers out, "That's not what I...you..you're just..."

Yuri stands up as well, pointing an accusatory finger in Natsuki's face. "Maybe you're just _jealous_ that Kaito appreciates my advice more than he appreciated yours!"

It doesn't look like either Sayori _or_ Monika have noticed what's going on.

_Please turn around please turn around please turn around..._

"Huh! And how do you know he didn't appreciate _my_ advice more?" Natsuki snaps back, hands clenching into fists. "Are you that full of yourself?"

"I..! No..." Yuri stares down at her hands for a moment, before whipping her head back up again. "If I was full of myself...I would deliberately go out of my way to make everything I do overly cutesy!"

"Uuuuu...!" Natsuki growls, puffing herself upwards in order to stare Yuri directly in the eyes.

 _Finally,_ Sayori turns, notices the commotion, and hurries over to them both. "U-um...is everyone okay?"

"Well, you know what?!" Natsuki sneers, "At least I wasn't the one whose boobs magically grew a size bigger when Kaito started showing up!!"

"N-Natsuki!!" Yuri yelps.

_Don't look at her boobs don't look at her boobs don't look at her boobs..._

"Um, Natsuki," Monika begins, clearly taken aback, "that's a little-"

Both Yuri and Natsuki snap, "This doesn't involve you!"

Monika startles, taking a step back.

"I-I don't like fighting, guys..." Sayori whimpers.

Then, to my horror, both Natsuki and Yuri turn back to me, as if noticing me properly for the first time. 

_Oh **no**._

"Kaito...!" Yuri stammers, "She's just trying to make me look bad...!"

"That's not true! She started it! If she could just get over herself and learn to appreciate that _simple_ writing is more effective...then this wouldn't have happened in the first place! What's the point in making your poems all convoluted for no reason? The meaning should jump out at the reader, not force them to have to figure it out. Help me explain it to her, Kaito!" 

_Why is she asking me???????_

_I don't know **anything** about poetry!_

"W-wait!" Yuri cries, and for a blissful moment I think she's going to tell Natsuki something along the lines of, _"Kaito's a beginner, we shouldn't force him to choose!"_

Instead-

"There's a reason we have so many deep and expressive words in our language! It's the only way to convey complex feelings and meaning the most effectively. Avoiding them is not only unnecessarily limiting yourself...it's also a waste! You understand that, right, Kaito?"

_No! I don't understand! I don't understand anything at all!_

"Um.."

"Well??" The two of them snap at me.

"..."

_How did I get dragged into this in the first place?! My opinion literally means nothing here! I know nothing about writing, let alone poetry!_

_B̸̠̺̜͐̿̏̈́̓́̈́̕͝͝u̴̡̨̙̖̥̯̣̅̐͑̂t̷͈͈͙͙͆̔̆͐͗͂͆̔̈̇ͅ ̷̢̪͕̩̘̳͙͙̻̻̻̬͊̐̑̓͗̎̇̒͐͊͋̌͜ẅ̶̺͎̻̑̔̍̃͌̓̇ḣ̵̨̧̖̻̻̭̞̱̘͐͐́́̆̐̐́͛̄̏͠ͅͅṓ̵͙̳̼̆̆̂̓͗͑̉͒̕m̸̻̩̥̫̩̬̟̫̰͖̺̼̊͒͒͆͐͆̈̌ͅę̴̪̭͓͈̭̞͉̣̙͓̬̞̝͚̾̋̒͊̅̊̋̔̒͐̅͘͝͠v̶̧̙̲͎̺̠̠̯̦̝̞̹͒͒̈͐̈́̐̈́̚͜ͅë̶̲̩̳̫̲͎͓͇̗͕̜͎̠̯̉̓̆̎̔͊̑̑͋͜r̵̢̀̈́̌̏͠ ̴̟̬͉̫̟͎͈̣͍̂̊̊̀́͛̊Į̷͉̥̘̻̹̜̮̞͙͗̋́̎ ̸̛͚̞̥͔͚̺͔͔̮̮͖̅͆̈́̆̄͑̈́̎̕͜͜͝͝á̸̡̲͔̪͎̝͕̬̪̳̬͔̇̇̇̾̾g̷̡̱̝̓͛̕ͅͅr̷͈͚̭͙̯̙̞͇̰̺̰̂̊̔̓͊͛e̵̢̢̧̗̗̤̙͖̦̬̲͇̝͔̍̓̾͗͗͊̅͆̆̊̈̈́͘͝ę̵̨̡̳̝̣̠̭̪͓̻͙̖̋̍̎͛̃͘ͅ ̸̢̺͇̗͚̦͉͔̖̼̤̮͍̫̆̕͜͝w̷̗͉͇̱̖͆̑̑̈̊́i̵̙̘̤̥̭̲͇̪͍̐͑̂̅̕͝͝t̵̼̏̎͒̔̇̎̾̿͐̑͗͜͠͠h̸̢̨̘͓̘̙͑̐̐̏̉͝ͅ,̴͚̪͍͙̩̠͉̭̣͓̣͖̩̹̏̈́̔̆͜͠ ̵͇͎̈͗̌̿́̕ţ̴̡̢͎͉̝͓̜͕̣̟̩̆̈̚͠h̴̜̀͛̂͘ẻ̶̛̺͙̳̹̞̳̪͍͓͇̍̈͊̊̊̒͘͘y̷̡͚͕̬̳̞͉͕͓̼̰̗͚̥̙̔̾̾͗̾̅̆͛̓'̵̞̥͚̣͔͔̞̩̖̗̥̃́̿̿͂̑͋̿̈́̐͜͜͝ļ̴̛̭̹̣͕͇͕͔̑̍͗̑̇̑̍̉̃̔͒̕͝͠ͅĺ̵͍̱̹͍̺̓̇̃̚ ̷̧̯̻̦̞̝͕̫͖̯̱̿͆̽̎͗̍͝͝p̵̠͉̥̬̼̈̈̃͠ŗ̴̣̩̹̮͇̖͔̫͚̟͕̫͒͛̐͘ǫ̵̩͉̝͔͓̲͈̀̏̕ͅb̸̻̖̅ą̴̳̥̝̬̼̝̗͍̳̉̆̎͗̓̅͗̐̎͐̎̚̚͜͝ḇ̸̢̳͇͕̗̥̘̱̻̘̬̲̘̘̊̉̓̎͑͐̾̔̔̏̈̎͝͝͠ļ̴̭̩͇͠y̶̡̡̝̘͔̫̞̬̠̞̩̜͕̎̋͛͜ͅ ̴̠̭̅͛͂̓̄̈́̃̈́͛͂̆̔̕͝͝t̷̼̩̲̰̫̝͇͖̝͔̥͙̄̿̓ͅḧ̵̛̦͔́̽͆̐̄͌̆̽̍͝î̴̧͖̹̦̌̀̍͊̓̾́̆͂̕ṋ̵̋̄̍̈͒̃͗̌̈́̓̈̕ͅk̶̬̝̘͕̪̤̮̺̀̏̊͌̿͆̿͑̃̅̽͌ ̸̼̫̖̃͘m̵̛̱͖̳̣͔̪͗̈̈́̅͗͗̒̃͂̐͘̚ờ̷̛̛̺͎͐͗͒̀̏̈͛͘r̸̘͎͓̲̹̒̈́̅͊͋̾͐͌̏͜e̶͙̣͋̓̿̉͛̕ ̸̝͚̟͖͛̑h̶̛̥̲̹̙̰̼̜̙̝̲̯̜̝̒̋́̾̈̚͠i̵̯̾̒̇͒̆̄̈́̚͝ġ̴̡̨̧̨̭̘̲̲̲̬͔͂͛̏̓̔̈́̇̓͒̍̚͜͝h̴̖̟̋͆̃͊̾̑̾͌̅̋̏̚l̴̛̛̪̥̍͋͋͊̆̈́̈́̽̈́͝y̸̨̨̞͗̔͒̈́ ̴̧̨̡͓͙̬̬̦̜͍̼̪̍̑̉̈̆͋̚͝o̵̘̩͊̅̏͗̃̉̑̔f̶̨̼̥͙̠͓̤͖̖̘̜̱̍̓̊̓̈́ͅ ̷̡͇̫̰͔̥̺̭̠̯͆̔̈m̴̰̹͇̠̜͌̃͋̑̈́͜e̶̢̛̙̺͕̪̦͙͕̥͚̙̥̳̩̫͊̇͒͗͑͆̇̐̓̾͌̚͘͝!̸͍̝͔̫̳͉͍̯͖̖̮̜̗̝̑̓_

_S̶̡̠̱̦̺̩̲̝̻͙̪̫̭̿o̸͎͇͖̽̍̑͑͒̓̃̇͛͊̈͜͝,̶͉̜͙̭̺͔̱̭̹̭͙͑̓͋̚̚ ̷̧̂̇̅̑̂̌̐̀̊̕͘͘͠o̴̡̧̯̻̣̗̖̰͚̱̟̪̹͎̎̂̆̉̐̅̊͐͆͝͝f̶̨̛͔͚͕̠͒̂́̄̈̾͂͌̚ͅ ̵̡̨̙͚͈̮͍̲̈̒̈̔͑̀͠c̶̡̠͚̞̗̩̗̹͖͖̲͚̖̜̺̏ȯ̸̢̩̗͚͔͖̳̖̻̜̲͈͌̽̏͂̏͑̃̍͒̾͝͝͠ū̷̢̨͔͖̱̫̭̘̳ͅȓ̸̨̛̥̥̩͓̻͔̹̻̣͙̅̊̃̆͑̚̕͜͜s̷̢̬͕̯͚͈̬͎͓͙̼̜̪͖͊̓̋̽̈́̍͒̍̕̚ė̸͙̜̲͋̌̊͑̔͒̈́͐͑̈͝ ̴͎̬͉̻͖̺͔̹͉̟͉͂͊ͅͅt̵̰̰̻͈̤̫͓̔̿̔͜͠h̸̨͇̪͉͕̣̭̪̞͔͘̕ä̸̡̬͙̞̟̺̰͌ẗ̸̰̹̞̪̯͚́͗́̎'̴̢̟͖͉̳̼̻̗͚͔̠͆̈͊̈́̔͑̓͒͒͠s̸̭̎͌̈́̈ ̵̡̦̟̜͇̟̱̇̑̆̿̈́̂̓̈́̓g̴̛̰̮̦̯̠̫̦͕͊́̋͑̋̃̆̓͊͘͝ö̸͕̤̪̠͈̟͈́̌̒̎̑̊͂͑̊̽̏͜͠ͅͅĭ̶̹͇̮͒n̷̤̯̞̫̤͉̊͗̂͒̎͛̌̍͗͑̅̑̔̕ģ̶̖̫̯̓̎͌̆̇͑͋͊̃̋̕͘͝͝ ̷̧̟͙͙̩̥͗͐͗̓̓̎͌͒͑̍̿͘̚̕͠t̵͍̣͊̇͗̾̑͆̊͌͂̈͝͠o̵̙̖̬̗̹̮̮͈̔̒ ̶̢͉̼̘͕̲̈́̈̂̃͜ͅb̵̨̧̡̨̦͙̠͇̭͇͎͚͎͎͒e̵̢̨͚̫̺̞̙̮̣͕̒̈́̐̍̽̀̓͑̑͝ͅ.̷̨̢̛̺̝̱̫̰̦͕̫̰̞̔̃̿̋̍̇̚͝.̸͕̘̪̍͝.̵͚̯͇̳̰̹͚̖̒͋̄ͅ_

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Y̵̭̳̬̞̻̬̝͈̯͔͐̿̃̎̌̄̐̈́̐͂̃͠ͅͅu̸̢̡̡͓̜̝̗̞̣̘̳̻͑͐̎̅͜r̴̨͇̤̠͇̃̀̋͑̈́̾̉̑̉̑̋͊̕͝i̴̺̳̻̍

H̸̝̩̠̓̂̂̌̋͒͐̿̓̾̕͝͝e̴̘̺̳̤͎̦͔͝l̴͉̮̩͔͇̤̘̙͖̠̹͕̽͊͗͆̅̕̚͜͜p̴̢̧̨̢͇̦͇͉̯̭̗̹͒̊͌̀͐ ̸̛̯̿̅̂̈͂̇̆̽̃͋̚͜m̴̨̡̡̦̻͉̫̯̗̐̈́̍ë̶̮̲́̋͐̅̐̿,̸̨̛̭̤͈̙͍̳̹̰̞̣̫̇̈́͐̽̈́̾̇̕͜͠͠ ̷̨̨͉̬̲̈͒̔͆̎͝S̷̢̨̲̠̠̺̥̞̩͍̝̜̠̤̿̋̈̎̏͐͆̓̍̈͋̕ǎ̷̛̤͈̦̻̼̪̬̦̭̟̥̊̃̒͌y̴̡̬̭̰̱̙͔̲͕̙̒̾͒̐o̵̱̤̺̞̜̬̱̙̫͍͍͖̟̝͐̀̎̄͊̿̈́̀͂̑̈̍͜r̷͇̯̤̹̹͕͆͒̃͘̚i̶̠̩̝̣̤͇̹͕̒͐̕ͅ!̵͔͗̈́̌̅

_What do I do????_

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

_I can't choose a side! Both of them have valid points!_

My vision blurs for a second, and for a brief moment, I feel sick to my stomach.

"N-Natsuki...Yuri..."

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

My head is spinning, and all my words are stuck in my throat.

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

Ņ̸̧̺̭͍͈͓̜̣̝̠͈̓̒͛͐͜͝a̷̧͚̣̺̐ͅţ̵̢̡̛̩̟͇̻̪̜͗͑̓͊̄̆̍̐̕͜s̶͈͎̣̰͐̂̿̅̈́̔͆̍͆͝u̵̡̢̘̣̫͉͉̜̙̹̱̬͕̦̟͒̉̓k̸̢̨̢̻̰̙̺̹̙͇̥̱͓̣͂͗i̷̢̬̝̞̎̀̾͂͆͠

"...Y-you guys, w-why...um...Sayori!"

"Eh?" Sayori gasps, clearly startled at being put in spotlight.

"Everyone's fighting is making Sayori uncomfortable!"

Because they are.

_Sayori hates conflict even more than I do._

Remembering this gives me the courage to stand tall. 

"How can the two of you keep fighting like this when you know you're making your friend feel like this?"

"...Well, that's her problem!" Natsuki says snootily. "This isn't about her."

"I-I agree," Yuri says coldly, "it's unfair for others to interject their feelings into our conflict."

"Yeah, unless Sayori wants to tell Yuri what a stuck-up jerk she's being."

"She would never...! It's your immaturity that's made her upset in the first place!"

" _Excuse_ me? Are you listening to yourself? This is exactly why...exactly why nobody likes-"

" _Stop!!_ " Sayori shouts.

Everyone falls silent; I think this is the first time any of them has ever heard her get this loud. 

"Natsuki! Yuri! You guys are my friends!" Sayori tells them earnestly. "I-I just want everyone to get along and be happy! My friends are wonderful people...and I love them because of their differences! Natsuki's poems...they're amazing because they give you so many feelings with just a few words! And Yuri's are so amazing because they paint beautiful pictures in your head!"

_This is who Sayori is._

Underneath all her layers, she's always been someone who understands people, knows how to look deep within and see things others miss.

"Everyone's so talented...so why are we fighting...?"

Both Natsuki and Yuri look unsure.

"Be-because..." Natsuki halfheartedly begins. 

"Well..."

The two of them fall silent.

"Also!" Sayori says, in a much more cheerful voice, "Natsuki's cute and there's nothing wrong with that! And Yuri's boobs are the same as they always were! Big and beautiful!!"

There's an awkward pause.

Sayori stands triumphantly.

Monica stands behind her with a bewildered expression. 

"I'll... make some tea..." Yuri says quickly, before rushing off.

Natsuki sits down with a blank expression on her face, staring at nothing.

I make my way over to Monika, and say quietly, "So this is why Sayori's Vice President..."

She nods in return.

"To be honest," Monika admits quietly, "I might come off as a good leader, and I can organize things...but I'm not very good with people."

Monika looks down at the floor, face flushing. "I couldn't even bring myself to interject. As President, that's kind of embarrassing of me."

Looking back up, she chuckles awkwardly. "Ahaha..."

"Are you kidding? You saw how I reacted. If anyone should be embarrassed, it's me."

"Well..." Monika begins, "I guess that means Sayori is amazing in her own ways, isn't she?"

"People tend to underestimate her, you know. They think she's some kind of airhead, and I won't deny she acts like one. But...she's a lot deeper and complex than most people give her credit for."

"I see. Take good care of her, okay? I would hate to see her get hurt."

"That makes two of us...but don't worry, you can count on me."

Monika smiles sweetly at me, causing my stomach to knot. Such a generous person really does make a good president, regardless of what she says.

I̴̟̬͋͗̈́̑̀͝f̵̛̲͙͙̗̟̮̝͖͚̣͗̈́̊̒̇̂̐̕ ̴̣̺̪̞͉̹̣̭̮́ͅͅo̵̢̝̖͉̘̤̫͈͕̭̣̞̺̪͗̓́̾̔̇̐̕ñ̷̮͓͇̪̭̖̱͎̭̪̿͆͗̈l̴̢͇̩̗͕̯͕̭̪̫̳̖̭̺̈́̓̌͑̉̏y̴̠̼͋ ̷̱͙͚̦͕̠͇͙̝̒̆͋͐̀̈̕̕͝͝ͅI̷̡̡̳͓̮̖͕̲͍͇̣̞̭͒̆̓̔ ̷̡̯͔̞̮̅́̐c̶̨̧̝͍̠̺̪̜͉͌̅̊̈̅̄̽̀͜͝͠o̸̡̜̻̹͌̂̔͌̿̿̑̈́̉̚̚̚ư̴̩̪̖̣̝̭͎̹̼̖̼͈͖̱̘̔̂̽͂͊̾̒̅̽͂͝͝ĺ̵̨̠̟̳̳̻̲̯̞͜͝ḑ̸͕̰̟͚͈̖̲̱̬̳̙̣͛́̄̃̏͂͊̈́́͒ͅ ̵̛͓̙͓̯͍̯̖̯̘̓͌g̶̡̰̣̜̯͂͌̆͛̈̊̏͒̽̌͜e̵͔͇̗͍̬̩̞͔̗͑̾͌̍͛̔͗͒̿̏͗̐͊͘͝t̴̨̜̰̫̗͛̈̽̕͠͝ ̵͇͓͉̘̰͙̋̄͑̍̿̅̃͗̈́̽̈́͝͠͝͝a̵̮̹̖̳͙̬̮͇̰̱͆̄͝͝ ̴̧̲̦̻̤̮̦͊̿́̐̋͛̀̒͘c̶͙̼͋͗͋̈́̃̕ḩ̴̡̦̳̠̯͍̋̓̓̆̏͐̓̍͗̏͘͝ͅǎ̸̭̒̐̏͑͑̓͑͒̊̈̔͊̈n̷̡̧̼̬͖̔̿͐̾̂͐͆͗c̶̠̗̜̱̻̔͗͑̽̔͂̓̉̋̈́̍̅͝ȩ̶̫͙̙̝̰̫̙̮̘̇̔͒̃̓ ̶̨̹̼̖̬̲̖̪̞̗͈͂̈́̔͝͠t̴̡̡̞̦͇̩͉̪̳͚͎̦̞͑̽͛̉͆͑̈̅̔͆̚̕͝͝ö̵̠͉̞͐͑̇͌̈͋̎̿̈́̈́͌̚͝ ̶̞͎͖͛̏̒̉͂̔̊̎̃̚͜ͅţ̴̛̄͂̆̿̋̀̉ą̶̨̛̙͉͓̪̥̙̭̭͕̜̈́̍͑͊͑͛̿̆̍̕͜͝͝ͅl̵͍̱̖̙͓̗̑̌͌̄̑̓̊k̷̙̥̖͎̆̾̆́̉̈́̓̂͒̃̊ ̵̨̧̥̪͚͓͍͚̰̘̻̩̮̾̇t̶̛̮̳͊̀̌͐͒̾̍̐̆̍̈͗͠ơ̵̰̫̓̓͆́̿̃̈͗̄͘͝͝ ̷̢͖̟͉̾̈́̉͗͗̈́̏̌͘̕̕͜͠h̵̳̓͐ĕ̶̛̦͙͎̪̻̿̄͐̀́͆͑́̐͝r̴̼͙̆̂̒͊̓̒ ̴͔̩̹̙̬̯̹̂̇̔̑̐̍̃̍̆͋̈́̃͝m̴̢̛̤̏̽͊͆͐͗͛͂͋͛̕͠͠o̴̘͔͔̬̽͑̄͘r̶̬͙͖͎̙͕̯͔͗̌̏̈́̀é̵̫̹͉͑̅̆͂͐̒̃͛̕.̶̣̼̥͊͐̔̾͑̽̓͗̄̓̅̏͝͝.̸̢̩̮͚̠̞̣̮̦̤͆̐͋̈́͐̂̾͛̒ͅ.̴̨̛̟͈̻̯̊̾

_I just wish my head would stop aching..._

"Okay, everyone!" Monika announces, "It's just about time for us to leave. How did you all feel about sharing poems?"

"It was a lot of fun!" Sayori says with a smile. 

"Well," Yuri eventually says, "I'd say it's worth it."

Natsuki huffs. "It was alright. Well, mostly."

Then, Monika turns to me. "Kaito, how about you?"

"...Yeah, I'd say the same. It was a neat thing to talk about with everyone."

"Awesome! In that case, we'll do the same thing tomorrow. And maybe you've learned something from your friends, too. So your poems will turn out even better!"

Well, I did learn a little more about everyone's preferred style of poetry...that might be helpful in the future.

.

W̷̹̣̲̯̄̂̈́i̸̡̺̖̣̲̎̽͊̂̄̾̋͝ẗ̷͕̪̽͌̊͌̒̌̈́͊̈́̚̕͠͝h̸̼̊̑͒̅̏̌͒̃̏ ̵͈͙̟̱͖̪͐̀̉̕̕͘͜ă̸̩̳̳͇͕̼̲̒̇̿̾͆̿̆͑̒͗̕͝ņ̵̢̲̩̠̻̪̩̲̰̄̇̈́̆y̸̛̱̜̲̣̙͉͒̈̎̀͊̇̈́̍̍͑̕͠͝ͅ ̶̬̩͙̣̘̩̙̖̝̤̲͖̥̓̓̎̄̀͜l̷̤̻̠̱̾̌̓̒̋̆̐͜u̴̢̧̬̩̝̤͖̥̞̭̥̩͓̣̬͗͊̊̋̅͘c̸̛̙̅̄͐̃́̑͆̓̏̆̅͘͠k̷̛̻͌͐̋̿̽̑͆̓̚̕̕͝,̵͚͉͚͖̟̯̼̭̺͈͛̋̽͂̔̑̍͑̓̑͠ ̴͖̭̽̄͌̃͑t̴̛̬̫̿͑̓̅͗͘h̸̢͕͔̪͈̮̳̅̒̌̋̆͆̎͊̐̒͘͘͝a̷͇̳̟̤̳̠̖̍̽͌̐̃̓̈́̅͂͝t̴̟̍ ̸̢̭͚̳̼͚̬͉̿̈́̅͗͌͋͊͒̊̉͒͒͘m̷̛̟̺̈̇̒̔̈́̇̄͗e̷̡̙̪̜͇̞̭͖̱̻͉̝̰͊̃͑̋̈́͝a̴̧̝̟͊̎͂̈́͜n̶̩̗̝͉͗̿̀͠s̸̯̜̱̬̰̖̠̒͆̃̑̎̅̋͑̓̆͒̏͠ ̷̢̬͉̮̝̥͍̦̰̘̝͗̿͑͂̈͑͠ͅͅI̸̧̡͈̼͚̦̫̺͈̩͈̽̓̾͋͜ ̸̪̲̖͓͕̙̭̺̂̀̏̋̃̓̄̔̑̏̆͒c̶̢̢͎͚̗̩̩͕̰̼̽̕͜a̶̯͈͍̭͔͚̺̹̳̭̟̝̬͋̇͛̋̇̾̑̆́̏̈́͑̃̏ṅ̸̤̹̯͖̠̱̣̭͙͙̱̥͍̭̎̏̄͝͠ ̶̝̣̮̖̮͎̕a̴̬̘̳̱̩͗̌͌̈́̽͊̅̒̿̎̕͝t̸̨̛̰͈͓̙͌̒̅͌̃̅̚̚͝͝ ̵̦͈͓̪̪͍̜̬͚̈́ļ̸̞͙͎͖̫̖̤͖̤̩̭̐̈́̆̋̆̈́̏̽́͘͝ͅe̴̞̣̟͓̭͇̰̅̇̓̏̒͂̌̔̏̒̽ͅå̵̩̇͗̑s̵̨̨̭͎̲̘̈́͑̋̀̿̂̑̅͊t̵̢̨̡̞͕̱͙͚̻͍͚̭̑͑̈́͗͂̔͂̌̒͗̚ ̷̤̬̌̅͊̕d̴̢̧̛͚̬͚̲̜̼͚͎͍͚̊̈̕o̴̻͇̲͉͍̫̮͈̤͉̖̹̓̓̕̚͜͜ ̶̢̯̜̯̗͚̙̻͓̍̃̃̈́͑́̕͝͝a̷̬̙̯̿ ̷͓̭̼̇͒̿̋̃̆̒͐͋̋͂̕͝͠b̷̧̡͙̮̠̜̟̠̲̖̘̬̮̋̍̈́͌̿̂̃̄̎̕̚ê̶̛͖̜͙̣̱̾̍͌͛̅̅̈́̌͐͘ť̸̗͔̫̿̐̍̌͋t̸̗͈̠̄̎̈́̉̃̐ȇ̶̢̨̡̨͕̻̲̫̠̪͍̐̃̊̎̌͑̋̕͜͝ŗ̴̡̛̪̙̭̜͙̞̳͉͉̗͆̄͒̈̑̚͝͝ ̷̧̰̫͊̌͠j̴̛̠͖̙̼̯̝̬̙̺̳̺̇͋͗̈́̒͐̐̏͆ͅo̶̝̖̹̲̜̿͑̈́b̴̩͖̓͛͋̾̉̑̃͘ ̵͕̥̯̭̣̦̱͊̀͗͌̌̅̿̀̓̏̚͠a̷̠̰̔͗̉͋́͐͊̕͝͠t̴̡̢͕̻̞̖͚̙̞̭̼̽͜ ̸̨̭̥͎͉̜̩͙̝̈́͆̆͛̅͒̋͗̒͋͘͘̚i̵̙̜̥͔̞̳̜̙̘̟͛̐̿̓͋̆̊̃͘͜m̵̪͍̮̘̮̻̙͙͓̰͖̋͑̏͛̃̐̈́̆̚͝͠p̴̡̛̥̫̞͙̥͈̞͓̩̜̣͇̦̏́͗̅̒̒̾͂̿́̄̊͠ͅr̸̺̤̿́ę̵̢͓̪̜̇͊̓s̶̨̢̹̪̝̫̹̥̞͚̱̊͋̐̈́͗̉̈̓͌̓͘͝s̷̘̉i̵̢̗͍͇̮̤̇́̈́́̈́̃̓n̸̨̪̰͇̩͖̲̙̾ġ̷̦̲̯̝̬͒̏̈̉̓͂̆̅͘ͅ ̷̲͔̗͚̜͈̗͊͊̓͒̔̈͌͂̃͝͠͝t̴̩̲́̿͑h̸͔͉̿̅̊̉̈́̓͒̑̕͝o̴̧̧̻̼̤̳̼̖̳̠̓̂͗̌̑͊̄̊̚͜͜͝ͅs̴͉̺̟͈̲͕̓͂͛̈́̍̏́͛͒͗̌̐͐̽ḙ̷̙͙̳̌̿̂̾̈̉́̄̽̃̿̿̓̀̕ͅ ̸̡̧̡̦̙͇̗̺̀̿͝I̵̛̮̘̫̪̱̲̣͙͂̍̍̄̂̍́̓̀̒̕͝ ̷̩͚̹̳̺͎͔̐͠ẅ̸̢͖͚̫͍̫̒̌͑̂̏̐̽ą̸͚̯̹̝̗̙̟͉̍͒̇̒̿̾͋ͅņ̷͈̭̖̳̟̘̰͈̻̹͕̘̰̀̑̊̃͐̈́̿̈̒̓̆͊̀͘̕t̵͙̟̮̟̗͕̟̅͒̔̉̿͌ ̷̛͔̻̤̹̹̠̬̜̉͒̋̎̂͌͌̒̂͘͝͝t̶͎̟̩̻̮̝͙̲͕̩͔͋͆͊̅̏̂̍̈́̾̌̊͝o̸̰͑͗̈͆͝ͅͅ ̸͚̰̞͔̟͍̝̟̬͔̰̣̈́̒̈́̍̏̆́̀̈̈̚̚̚͜͠ͅi̷̢̡͎̭̳̞̗̪͕̗̩̍̒͜͝ͅm̷̨̛͚͈̠̫̖̝̰͔̟̋̾̓̊̇͌͗̾̋̒̋p̷̘͌̈́̑̾̊̅́̿̄̍͊̈͊͠ṟ̵͓̮̟̹̖̪̜̃̈́̐̉̐͋͐̈́̄̿̋͊́͠e̷̡̙̹͊̈́̒̋̎̚s̵̺̲͍̺̗͖͎̪͛̇̃͊͜s̶̢̲̖̺̺͆̂͂̑̊͝.̵̨̢̨̣͚̼̞̜̹̜͎̔̾̀͂͋̓̃

"Kaito, ready to walk home?"

"Sure, just let me grab my bag."

Sayori giggles, beaming at me. 

It truly has been a while since Sayori and I have spent this much time together. 

...I've missed her.

On the way home, I can't help but mention, "Sayori...about what happened earlier..."

Sayori looks surprised. "Eh? What do you mean?"

"You know, between Yuri and Natsuki. Does that kind of thing happen often?"

"No, no, no!" Sayori says hurriedly. "That's really the first time I've seen them fight like that...I promise they're both wonderful people."

She then looks worriedly at me. "You don't...you don't hate them, do you??"

"No, I don't hate them!! I just wanted your opinion, that's all. I can see why they'd make good friends with you. Not to get all mushy, but you have a way of bringing people together."

Sayori blushes a little. "Phew. You know, Kaito, it's nice that I get to spend time with you in the club. But I think seeing you getting along with everyone makes me the happiest. And I think everyone likes you, too!"

I can feel my face flush. "That's-"

"Ehehe," Sayori giggles. "Every day is going to be so much fun!"

I let an over-dramatic sigh, linking my arm with her's. "If you say so."

"Don't be such a constant downer!" Sayori laughs, swatting at me with her free hand.

I̸̢̛̖̘̹̞̫̥͎̥͇̞͕̳͛̄͆͒̒͋̀͘͠͝ţ̷̙͎̔̎̏͑͆̓͆̀̒̃͌͘̚͘ ̵̯͇̦̫͙̥͚̫̳̮̲̺͇͒̒͒̌̈́̋̀̕l̴̨̨͙̞̘̖̱̙͙̻̺̝͙͖̱̽̈͐̉̅ŏ̷̝̤̫̹̬͛ó̵̯̥̎͛̇̊́̏̒̅̉̎̚͘k̴̢̘̯̲̰͕̳̺̣̖̙̱̃̐̔̂̌̈̾̑͛͛͝͠s̴̖̈́̅̔̆̀̊̑́̃̎̈́̒͝ ̷̝̰͇͚̰̘̥͔̬͓͚̫̇͋͋̾́̃̐̈͐̍̈́̚͜ͅl̵̲̝̟̤͓͎̣̮̘̺̹̼͆̎i̸̛̝͕̐͒͑̇̀̂͂̚ǩ̸̛̻̾̒̈́̐̐̾͂͛̒̿̚ẹ̸̓͛̑̈́̏̓̒̽͗̕ ̶̨̧̛͙͔̙̙̯̬̱̻̘͔̂̈́̅̌̀̇̽̉̀͒͐̔̉S̶̨̨̘̤͇̫̘̱̰̳̈́̓̊͂̾̈́͆͒̿͗͠͝ą̶͖̠̼̻̠̟͎̞̌͒́̍̈́̉̈́͌̉͋̔̚ỷ̵̜͍̪̝̓̈́̿͗͒̐̅͊͐̀͜ơ̵͚̻̹͕̯̭̈́̐͋̑̽̀̂͘͝r̴̢̛̺̻̻̖̘͔̠̟̱̋̽̌̆̆͒͊̉́͊̕ǐ̶̛̪͕͇̝̟͚̣̩̱͖͋̊́͗͊̐ ̶̨̡̞̠̠̲̲̮̰͚̱̘͈̿̈́̆͛͘͝s̸̼͓͉̥̼̰͇̳̰̟̠̤̑͆̏̿͆͑͆͋̎̅̚͘͜t̵̢̡̬͙̭͖̘̱͚̳̝̮͕̍̉̒̈͛̔̾̇͑̿͊͜į̶̦͇̩̠̝̯̖̥͙̱̩̰̓̑̿̓̑̉̒̚l̴̗̬̟̟̠̺͇͂͘l̵̢̘̣̱̼̯̲̦͗̎ ̴̧͉̺̦̊̅̓̎͂̓̒́͊̓h̶̡̨̗͇̞͎͍̙͈̹̖͔̺̼͐͌͊̏͊̂̈̽͘̚͝͠a̸̱͈͓͖̣̱͖̙͉̥̖̫̟̚͘͠s̷̡̡͇̤̼͔̰̰̜̪̘̖̲̒̆͜n̵̞̭̳̙͉̅̎͋͗̐̃̽͛̈̚͘͘͜͝'̸͉͇̀͛̆t̵̙̟̜͆̔͛̅̅͑͛̌̇ ̸̨͇͍̲̻̯̦͈̈́̑̈́̎͊̑͝͝͠ç̶̡̳̙͇̳̩͙̣̖̱͉̞͎̊͂͋͌̂̕͘à̶̗̯̩͉͕̯̞̳̤̦̖̫̓̏̈́̊́̋̚͘͜ų̷̬͙̮̥͍̦̥̹̹̤̱͓̞͋̈́͆͌̊̀̉̚͘͝͠ͅģ̶̡̡̬̦̻͖̱͓͖̬̹͍̗̊̽̎̊̾h̸̬̐̈́͐͑̋̄̋̀͒̇͌̍̋͠͠t̶̨̢͎̥̤͙̮̪͇̫̗̽̂͊̒̍̊̓̏͗̃̒̂̋̚ ̴̛̛͎̞̳̰̞̦̗̳͓̪̘̻͛̐̒̉̉̓̋̍̈͝͝ơ̶̢̧̪̍̔n̵̡͔̹̦̼̻̦̻̯̥̥͈̈́̐̉̊̈̐̚ẗ̴̹͓̩͔̬̀o̴̘̘̖̻̤̹͔̰͆̈́̅͛͂̄ ̴̼̘̫̗̻͎͂̅̔̄̌͘͝ț̶̡̢͓̪̰͓̉̎̀̋͒̎̔̊̀̈́ͅh̶̡̛͈̳̘͋͆͆̀̄̿͠ȩ̵̨̫͎͔̂̑̀̋̈́̔̃̊͠͝ͅ ̴̘̼̘̩̘̹̗̮̽͒͘͜s̸̲̟̰̳͛̽̃͆̚i̷̛̻̞̟̬̹͕̥͍̭̰̓͛̾̄͐͠t̷̢̼̣̭͉̮̥̰̦̖̼̗̤͍̭͛̓u̴̢̝̲͍̺͚̳̮̦͖̽̂̓̊̇̈̇̍͂͝ą̶̪̞͈̝̟̭̺̯̙̱̘̬̈̎͂͛̈̚t̷̝̜̮̰̹͚̳̱͇̻͔̯̟̊́̽͋͘ḯ̵̻̖̎̓͋͌̍͑̇́̊̈̅̎ŏ̵̺͉͖̟̼͔̩͍̐͋̈́̾n̴̢̥͌̆̆̽͗̒̏͊̇̒̑̽͊̒ ̷̨̺͓͇̰͍̽͋̃͊̓͂̏͘I̵̧̛̛̛̩̝͖̞̒́̈́̈́̋͛'̸͉̫͕͈̮̽̎̂̎̔̉͑͛̀͊̆͗͝m̵̛̬̮͚͙͔̣͌̌͒̿͐͂̋͑͘͠͝ͅͅ ̵̨̢̛̛̹͚̓̇̄͋̾̎̒̔̑̊́͐͠i̴̬̯̲̳̘̬͊́̑̄̒̇͌̾̈̕ͅn̸̡̡͈̬̖͉̱̩̠̬̲͐̓̌̈́̅̈́̐̑̿̆͒̿̚.̴̡̡̧̯̭̭̘͚̫̼͎̐͋̽͂̈́̅̆͐͊̈̇͋̚  
̶̨̝͐̄̊́̈́̈̀̑̓Ŝ̸̺͌́͌̅̕ͅư̴̢̢̻̬̤͉̜̳̜̠̳̼̯͐̊̈̋ͅȓ̷̡̜̦̗͖͓̦̲̫̹̬̣̺̲̾̈́̌͋̉͑͆̓̋̎̕ͅe̷͕̦̦̣̐̈́̂,̴̨̖̠̲̣͚̞̫̪̖͈̥͉̀̿ ̶̙̂̐̽͂b̷̨̢̡̝̮̝͈̹̞̖̤̙̒͋̊̅ͅͅė̴͈̹̦̼̪̹̫̗̪̅̌̌͂̊̇͒͆͆͠i̴̡̧̨̯̹̱͚̜̱̗̗̰͇̫̓̎̍̎̎͐̚ͅņ̸̯̘̗̮̣̳̻͂̍̽̋͂̉͊̐̓̚̚g̷̨̡͇͔͇̠̩͍̙͙̼̀̑͒͌̋̉̕͜͠͝ ̴̛̛̪̼̯͎͈̖͈̪̙̠̆͋͊͌̂͝͝ͅf̶̪͎̽̕ͅr̷̖̙̤̞̱͑̄̊̍͠į̴̧̲̤͙̯̯̖͈͂̊̑̐͆̊̓̽̄̽̔̇̋͛͝ė̸̹̤̳̖̱̻̺̹̯̤̓̓̈́̂ͅn̷̨̨̻̩̆̏̈́͋͂̽̓̍̉d̸̨̛̝͎͛͌͌̌͑̽s̵̛̱̜̪̙̘͕͖͗͒̂͂̎́̌̈́̃̈́͝͠ ̷̨̨̯̪̲̝̼̩͓̠̲̇̏͑̚w̵̛͕͔͇͎̲͓̠̯̮̲̬̫̫̿̅̃͜ͅĭ̸̢͓̯̻͖͇͔͇̜̤̪̹͆̑̉͂͗̾̒̓̚͜͠ͅt̸̨̢̛͖͙͓̤̖̖̙͈̣̪̮͔̄͌̿̒̏̅̂͗̓̑̈́̊̚h̸̢̧̞̮̣̖̤̺͍́̌ ̷̜̿͋̿̍͝ḛ̷̙̗͈̰͋͐̈̂̚v̷̡̛̱̪̰͈̹̫͍̪͍̝̜̆͐̏̉͘͝ḛ̴̬̠̯͎̰̏͆͒̽̒̈́̂̎͆͌̓͘͝͠͠ŗ̷̼̜̳͎̹̗̼̠̪̥̭̺̽ͅy̴̩̹̩͈͕͂̔͂͛́o̵̟̓̿́̈́͌͑͐͠͠n̵̘̾͂̒͒͊̿̕e̸͙̬̹̥̾͋̈́͗̄̑͗̏̑͋͌̏͌ͅͅ ̴͔͒̅̋͑̓̊̈́͜í̵͇̐̈̀̃͊̅̓̚š̸̹̱̪̔͋͛̽ ̷̫͎̯͓̮̱̒̑̓̈̈͝͠ṅ̶̦͚̻̯͖̦͙̘̝̖͑̐̂͒̏̈́̒̆̕͝͝î̶̧̟̜̺̳̞͇̫̙c̵̛̝͉͖̞̲̙̾͐͂͌̋ͅe̶͍̖̖̋̌̒̋͌̀͋̆̑̈́͋̚͘,̵̢̞̹͎͎͎̻̼̭̽̒̽̉̍̿̓̉̊̎̀̊̊͝ ̷͈̠͕̓̑̿͌̎̒͗b̵̧̙̖̭͍͖̤̦̳̠̹̋̆͛̀̉̕ư̷͇̲͂́̈͑̏̅̌͂͒͘ͅt̷̛̘̮͍͙̳̠̤̖̦͍̘̝̑̄̽́͂̍͛̋̎͂͊͗̚.̸̪̽͜.̸̖͇̻̾̎̑̅͂̔͑͗̾͑̌̄̈͘.̶̭̼͙̝͉̝̙͒̋͋ͅͅ  
̵̛̭̻̉̍͋͒͊̎͑́̆̕͘͠͠.̷̧̨̧̠͙̺͔̐̅̈́̌̇̏̀̓̉.̵̨̯͉̼̳̥̫͎̔̎̓͌̎̉̔͑̃̔̎̄̊͝͝ͅ.̶̧̡̗̮̗̟̘͇͙̖̟̠̑̇̈́͌̐̈́̋̎̇̽̿D̸̘͇̣̰̗͊͌̆̾̈́͘ȯ̷͓̭̥̰̳̘̜͌̍̓e̴̘̦̟͙̥̲̹͇̣͆̒̑̆̇̔͒̎͆͠ş̶̠̭͈͙̠̹̫̺̗̻̥̔̐̅̈́̎̃ͅ ̴̢̣͚̻͉͉̩̯̇̎̄̓̑̒̑̋͝į̶̨͚̝̳̼͖͖̯̂͗̈́̓̅͒̏̀̌̒͘t̸̨̛̮̹̰̺̝̥̊͂͌̌̽͆̾͐̌̚͝ ̴̭͔̲̩̹̼͎̪̤̥͖̆͂̿̅͒̓͊̅͘̕r̴̮͔͉̳̱̗̠͈͉̊̂͂̉͒̃͗̐́e̴͕̰̘͇͂͂͛a̸̹̒̀͂̈́͊̕l̶̡̜̪̹̪̭̪̞̖͒̈́̍͊́͐̔̋͘͝͝l̶̛̖̦͗̏̈́̾̌̔̈̂̊͘͜ÿ̸̢̨̱͇̝̜̖͚̗͈́͛̈͗̾́ ̸̨͔̳̣̗̙͓̯̜͈͖̺̹̊̈́͗̅͒̍̔͐͂̾̾̚͠n̴̡̠̪̭̹͖̗͔̫̗̹̓̐̔̄̓͑̉̎̂̉̀̒̚ͅe̶̬͙͈̟̳͇̤͎̳̮̹̯̣̍͌̑̔̌͑́̒̏̂̚͜͜e̶̛̛̛̪͚͙̎͑͒̈́̅̂͌̇͝ḑ̵̛̳̬͉̳̥̼͖͑̾̌͛̓̈̍̈́͛̚ ̸̛̦͓̣͔̰̃̀͋̇̆̂͑̃͆̆̉̆̈́ͅt̶̢̧̳͓͎̰̗͔̼͈̜͈̘̑̓̏̈̀̈̑̈̍͜͝͠o̶̧̧̝̗͆͂̈́ ̴̨̢̠̻͙̞̲̳͎̝͎͍͚͋̿͜͠ṣ̵̘̟̈́̄̉̄̍̇̌͗̐̋͘͝͝t̷̢͍̘̠͇̱̰̳͆̓͘͝͝o̸͎̫̅̾̃̇̕ͅp̶̡̛͈̩͉͚̲̼̜̝̠̓͠͠ͅ ̴̨̡̟͇̼̌̑t̵̢̡̥̪͈͓̥̹͠h̴͇̞͕̼͛̅͋̌̒̅ë̵̳̬̱͓͈̩͔̹͕̾̈͐͂͐̉̒̚͜͝r̷̢̞̪̯̺͔̯̭̜̾̈́̎̾͋̈́́͂͜͝ͅȅ̸̘̠̱̖̞̃̃̓̒̉̾͐͜͠͠?̴̢̨̘̘̤̞̘͕͎̜̉̆̓̊̅

"We'll see what the future holds, Sayori," I say. "In the meantime, I think I'm going to have to take a nap when I get back home. My head is starting to hurt."

"Okay! Remember to take some aspirin and drink lots of water!"

"Will do."

***Save**


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